Qld: Tsunami response not good enough: oppn

AAP General News (Australia)
04-02-2007
Qld: Tsunami response not good enough: oppn

The Queensland government's under fire .. for its response to this morning's tsunami threat.

An earthquake measuring 8.1 .. struck at around twenty to seven (AEST) about 350 kilometres
off the coast of the Solomon Islands.

A warning was issued about a tsunami threat .. but it's now passed.

During the warning .. many north Queensland residents left their homes and businesses
and took to higher ground.

But opposition emergency services spokesman TED MALONE says confusion reigned supreme
over the warning .. and who was responsible for coordinating emergency responses.

Mr MALONE says the media and members of the community haven't been able to get through
to anyone from the premier's office down .. to give a straight answer over who's responsible
for coordinating any response.

And he says apart from the warnings from the Bureau of Meteorology .. there hasn't
been a word from Emergency Services Minister PAT PURCELL.







Mr MALONE says Cooktown council was contacted by the media .. to see what precautions
were being taken to move people to higher ground .. and no one there had heard a word
from the government.

He says Queensland should have learned its lesson from the devastating Asian tsunami
on Boxing Day 2004.

The weather bureau says although sea level rises of 20 to 30 centimetres have been
observed in some parts of northern Queensland .. no significant rises have been reported
and the threat has passed.

AAP RTV rm/pjo/tm/bart

KEYWORD: QUAKE AUST OPP (BRISBANE)

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